How come everyone seems to be able to eat more than me?

bangles501

I know that I'm not overweight, I have a healthy BMI and it was still in the healthy range when I was a stone heavier however I didn't feel comfortable at that weight, I don't think the weight looked right on my body as much as I didn't think it looked right when I was restricting and about 8 stone as I was too skinny. I'm not obsessed about being a particular weight, I know it fluctuates. I weigh myself in the morning before I've had anything to eat and it can be anywhere between 112 and 118lbs which is ok. I just know that if it's 118lbs or higher for a few days in a row then I've actually gained weight. The reason I think I'm gaining weight on 1500 calories a day + exercise is because my clothes are getting tighter and all I care about is my size and the way I look and feel, not the number on the scale! These are clothes I've had for years, not ones I bought when I was under weight.

Today I weighed 112lbs, yet my pencil skirt is actually painful to zip up! This was a perfect fit a year ago before I put on weight and after I lost it again.

Maybe it is my body changing with age but I'm only 23 and I don't see why I'd suddenly be gaining more body fat. I eat mostly whole foods, avoid wheat and refined sugars as much as possible.

I definitely do not overestimate my activity levels as I calculate it all as if I had a sedentry lifestyle and rarely eat my exercise calories back. I don't count strength straining calories at all, just cardio and I only eat some of them back when I burn over 500 - I run long distances.

I really hope this is just water retention from the new strength training I'm doing but I'm so scared I'm just gaining weight for no reason. I want to be able to eat a healthy 1700 calories a day and then gradually build muscle so I will be able to eat more.

nxd10

Perhaps you are having a bloating problem, rather than a weight problem? This is not a minor thing - my husband stays the same weight and his waist can expand 10" overnight. It's amazing - he looks pregnant one day and slim the next.

Perhaps you should look at your diary and start measuring your waist/abdomen daily and record that? Then you can see if you are having food triggers. For my husband, it's wheat and fat. He's not allergic to gluten, for example, but it irritates his guts so they don't work well - it runs in his family (his sister has celiac disease and he has had a foot of intestine removed). Dropping beer and being very careful with bread has made it completely manageable. He also takes fiber every day, which has helped a lot.

For you it could be something completely different, but your diary is a great tool.

whitebalance

OP, stop everything and read this. Please.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/993576-why-you-gain-weight-if-you-eat-more-than-your-cut

Sharonks

If you are growing around your stomach it could be bloat. Dairy intolerance runs in my family. It really didn't bite me until a few years ago in my mid-40s. It got my sister in her early 30s and just hit my 21 yo daughter. She lost 5 lbs and a lot of bloat the first week she quit consuming dairy. Luckily we all can still eat cheese since we seem to be addicted to it.

For others, the issue can be wheat and/or gluten. It might not hurt to eliminate a food type for a week and see how you feel. Food intolerances can do strange things.

Graelwyn75

When you lose weight, then gain weight back, the weight does not necessarily go back in the same distribution, and similarly, the weight might have come off different places to before, if that makes sense. This could be what has happened in your case.